I’ve dedicated so many hours of my life watching all kinds of TV series, and here are my top 10 favorites ranked in order!
Our tastes in shows most probably differ. I generally love shows that bend genre conventions and deconstruct tropes, which is why my list contains a lot of dark comedy and satire. I also love deep character studies–TV series in which their plots contribute to a deeper understanding of their characters. Most importantly, I’m interested in shows that challenge my thinking and resonate with me emotionally.
In ranking these shows, I only asked myself one question: “How much did the show stick with me long after I watched it?” And so, all these shows stuck with me in some way, but the ones I still often think about are ranked higher up. I hope you’ll come away with a good list of recommendations!
Genre: horror, drama, supernatural, psychological
The Haunting of Hill House is all about ghosts, as the dysfunctional Crain family are forced to confront their past and deal with the trauma, grief, and memories that came with it. Over the course of 10 episodes, we flit between past and present to see how each child was affected by their stay at the haunted Hill House.
Out of all the horror pictures I’ve watched, this one is the most meaningful with its use of the genre. Fear operates in our everyday lives, but the horror genre–the genre that specifically preys on our fears–has become so detached from those everyday fears. We don’t fear ghosts or demons or spirits everyday, but isolation, dread, and the unknown. Hill House shows us these everyday horrors through horror tropes.
This series is absolutely scary. The jump scares are there, but the terror arises more from tension and dread. And there’s a profound sense of melancholy running throughout the series, so it really is not a light watch. It’s more sad and hopeful than scary, I would say.
Hill House is also a deep character study. We get a very good grasp of each sibling’s struggles and complexities because they each get an episode revolving around them. It’s interesting how our impressions of them change as we see them interact with each other. I love good shows about family too, and this one is topnotch.
Genre: dark comedy, drama
After Life is a tear-jerker. It follows Tony as he struggles to find meaning in his life after his wife of 25 years dies. He goes through grief, depression, and loneliness; he’s having a self-pity party all the time and is filled with contempt. He obsessively watches videos of his wife too, and you can feel his longing and isolation as he watches and even interacts with these videos.
I make it sound very heavy–which it is–but it’s also so funny! As usual, Ricky Gervais’ deadpan humor and sarcasm are absolutely hilarious, and there’s so much second-hand embarrassment and cringe comedy here, which I love. The series truly strikes the balance between heartache and laughter masterfully.
What I appreciated about After Life the most, however, is that it precisely tackles how people try to make meaning out of the meaningless of everything around us. In philosophical terms, the series is a meditation on nihilism and absurdism. You’ll have to watch the series to see the humble answers it offers to these questions.
Genre: crime thriller disguised as a superhero show
Matthew Murdock is the ultimate symbolism for justice. He’s a blind lawyer by day, serving justice through legal means, and at night, he becomes a vigilante (yes, still blind) to serve justice to those who got past the law.
While this is a superhero series, it never felt like one to me. It’s down-to-earth gritty, deals with street-level crime, and features prolonged scenes of bloody hand-to-hand combat. Murdock never felt invincible; he’s a man often on the edge of collapse. He gasps and wheezes and gets sloppy when fighting for too long, and bleeds when he gets stabbed or punched. All these make his vulnerabilities feel more immediate and real.
Murdock is also a good Catholic boy, which is curious because I’ve never encountered a religious superhero before. His strong faith compromises him a lot and adds depth to his character. But the series is not a character study on only Murdock himself, but also his enemies–their psyches, backgrounds, struggles, and desires. The villains here are so fleshed-out; it’s weird that I found myself growing sympathetic to those ruthless murderers.
If you love Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, then I’m certain you’ll love Daredevil too. The show has the same psychological and emotional complexity with edge-of-your-seat suspense and gorgeous cinematography. Daredevil honestly re-calibrated my standards for what an excellent superhero series or movie should be.
Genre: drama, comedy
Ramy follows a Muslim Egyptian-American millennial as he tries to reconcile his spiritual faith with being young in a modern society. He thinks that religion will automatically solve all his problems, but what he doesn’t realize is that he has to put in actual work to make himself better.
Ramy straddles the line between being frustrating and funny to watch, because he never seems to learn from his mistakes. You’ll get so much secondhand embarrassment and cringe from viewing Ramy’s one bad choice after another. The series also dedicates episodes solely to explore the experiences of Ramy’s father, Ramy’s mother, and Ramy’s sister as well, so the Hassan family here is super fleshed out.
I’ve never watched anything like Ramy before either; it taught me that we learn a lot from watching diversely. I learned a lot about Islam, the Arab-American community, the immigrant experience, and Egypt. I was impressed that the series even tackled colonialism and modern-day American imperialism. There’s a valorization of all things American in Egypt, which happens in most developing nations too. I would know.
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Genre: superhero, action, satire
What’s the most realistic thing that will happen when superheroes are dropped into our modern-day capitalist society? We get The Boys. This show is a cynical deconstruction of the superhero narrative, in which superheroes are not benevolent carriers of justice. Instead, they’re filthy rich celebrities, movie stars, and product endorsers owned by a management company. Sound familiar?
The series is at its best when it functions as cultural critique. I love The Boys because it parodies modern-day capitalism, celebrity idolization, consumerism, commercialism, public relations, and powerful corporations. It even criticizes the savior and superiority complexes of the United States as well. These are things I critique in my own studies too so learning about these in a comedic way was like my two loves jiving together.
No one in the series is moral, even the mishmash group of heroes who attempt to take the superheroes down. Everyone struggles. And I appreciate that the superheroes grapple with the same very human problems that we have. Their problems are not figuring out how to defeat the next supervillain, for instance, but how to discern right from wrong–how to do good while also achieving success within the constraints of their circumstances. That makes them feel more grounded in reality.
While Season 1 was very strong, Season 2 was a total disaster (in my opinion!). It was so bad that I don’t know if I’ll watch the third one when it comes out. But you should still give the show a try, because it’s such a brilliant take on superheroes.
Genre: romance, coming-of-age
Normal People follows Marianne and Connell as they weave in and out of each other’s lives from high school to college.
Lots of sex scenes and nudity aside, Normal People is an intense character study about two young people. I love that it portrays young people without condescension, especially since we live in a culture wherein young people aren’t taken seriously–that their problems aren’t “real.” So showing the real pain and real love that these young people have in their most raw forms is empowering. Each of them struggles with their own issues while trying to make things work between them.
I’ve never encountered a male lead like Connell before either. He’s humble, very respectful, shy, and struggles emotionally. His character was very refreshing to watch, because he really breaks down and has a hard time articulating his emotions but tries to anyway. I feel like Connell is a good role model for guys who want to be emotionally free as well.
The cinematography here is also just exquisite. Coupled with orchestra themes, gorgeous locations, and compelling acting, Marianne and Connell’s love story felt like it’s all happening in a dream. There were so many beautiful frames that looked like paintings. All these elements together just made for a beautiful, raw, intimate, and breath-taking series.
Genre: dark comedy, satire, drama
Succession follows the Roy family as they try to manage their multi-billion dollar media and entertainment company in the wake of their father’s sudden illness. Think The Godfather, but with pathetic and delusional characters. That’s what makes them so funny to watch actually, because they hurl very creative yet powerless insults at each other. They also use their wealth in ridiculous and meaningless ways and they know it.
Succession satirizes the 1% but also shows their deep humanity. They’re also deeply flawed, fearful, and insecure people who just happen to occupy positions of power. You won’t like any of the characters for sure. But as you get to know their pains and struggles, you’ll eventually grow sympathetic towards them.
For those who like shows about power plays, then Succession‘s for you. There’s a lot of mental gymnastics here because characters never say what they really mean–both in their corporate jobs and in their personal lives. Everyone has an agenda, and they frequently say one thing but do the exact opposite. Characters here can’t even trust their own family members, but they still mess around with and confide in each other. That’s what makes the show funny, unpredictable, and suspenseful.
Genre: sitcom, satire
I don’t generally like sitcoms, but Schitt’s Creek is the only exception! This show follows the Rose family after they lose their multi-million dollar fortune and are forced to live in a small town. There’s Johnny, an uptight businessman; Moira, a self-important former soap opera star; and Alexis and David, their spoiled children.
Schitt’s Creek is a very wholesome and funny show about sticking together as a family, figuring out what we truly want for ourselves, and learning from people who are vastly different from us. The Roses come from a life defined by fame, wealth, and possessions and they eventually learn to value each other. It’s an understatement when I write that watching them grow was very fulfilling.
I also cannot emphasize how funny this show is! There are so many hilarious bickering and iconic lines (a lot of GIFs have already been made). Moira’s and Alexis’ accents have even stuck with the way I talk now.
Schitt’s Creek gets better season after season after season, and each episode directly leads to the next (unlike most other sitcoms). I can’t even articulate the emotional impact the final season had on me as characters said goodbye. I bawled my eyes out because I watched them grow and struggle and eventually find happiness on their own terms.
Genre: musical, dark comedy, romantic comedy, satire
I love this series so much that I already watched it twice! Crazy Ex-Girlfriend follows Rebecca Bunch as she moves across the country to win her ex-boyfriend back. Each episode features 2-3 original musical numbers, and the cast have such powerful voices that almost a year after I watched this series, I still frequently listen to their soundtrack.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a show that fully embraces femininity. It’s the first show wherein I saw women-specific experiences frankly depicted at the forefront, and it made me realize the importance of having your own experiences represented. It’s incredibly empowering and comforting.
While the name and premise of the series sound superficial, it’s anything but. It dives deep into serious topics, and at its heart is ultimately about having the courage to break free from others’ expectations and to do what’s healthy for us even though it’s not instinctual.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend does comedy masterfully; it takes commonplace situations or ideas and stretches them to absurd ends. It parodies songs from Mamma Mia, La La Land, and Les Miserables, among others. It parodies genres too, like thrillers, romantic comedies, even the very structure of narratives itself. The songs can get so weird, and I’m all for it!
It’s a satirical show through and through. It deconstructs the whole concept of romantic love that was perpetuated by rom-coms, and depicts how these ideas can be so unhealthy, misleading, and even dangerous. I understand how this won’t be appreciated universally though. You’d have to have some knowledge of both music and story genre conventions to truly appreciate the comedic genius of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Genre: dark comedy
I already watched Fleabag thrice because that’s just how much I love it! I’m obsessed, and I discover something new each time I watch it. Fleabag follows the misadventures of a woman struggling to cope with grief and to connect with others. Throughout all her pain, she jokes and laughs and acts like she doesn’t care about anything. But of course, she does.
I’ve always liked British humor more than I do American, and Fleabag is peak British humor. The passive-aggressiveness, deadpan delivery, sarcasm, sassiness, cheekiness–the jokes all land. This is the funniest show I’ve ever watched. And while you’re busy laughing your head off, Fleabag suddenly crushes you with heartbreak and tenderness. It does that balance really well.
Fleabag takes my number one spot because this series deeply moved me. I like my thinking to be challenged, yes, but a series that moves and touches me deeply will always be the best for me. I felt myself grow from the lessons I learned from this series, and I still think about it almost every day. It’s short and sweet. Every episode is a masterpiece in humor and sorrow.
Pictures taken from:
Armstrong, J. (Writer), & McKay, A. (Director). (2018, June 3). Celebration [TV series episode]. In J. Armstrong (Creator). Succession. HBO.
Bloom, R. (Writer), McKenna, A.B. (Writer), & Webb, M. (Director). (2015, October 12). Josh Just Happens to Live Here! [TV series episode]. In R. Bloom, A.B. McKenna (Creators). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Warner Bros. and CBS.
Flanagan, M. (Writer/Director), & Howard, J. (Writer). (2018, October 12). Two Storms [TV series episode]. In M. Flanagan (Creator). The Haunting of Hill House. Netflix.
Gervais, R. (Writer/Director). (2019, March 8). Episode 1.6 [TV series episode]. In R. Gervais (Creator). After Life. Netflix.
Goddard, D. (Writer), & Abraham, P. (Director). (2015, April 10). Cut Man [TV series episode]. In D. Goddard (Creator). Daredevil. Netflix.
Katcher, A. (Writer), Welch, R. (Writer), Youssef, R. (Writer), & Bradbeer, H. (Director). (2019, April 19). Between the Toes [TV series episode]. In A. Katcher, R. Welch, R. Youssef (Creators). Ramy. Hulu.
Kripke, E. (Writer), & Trachtenberg, D. (Director). (2019, July 26). The Name of the Game [TV series episode]. In E. Kripke (Creator). The Boys. Amazon Prime Studios.
Levy, D. (Writer), Kohler, R. (Writer), & McCulloch, B. (Director). (2018, February 27). Open Mic [TV series episode]. In E. Levy, D. Levy (Creators). Schitt’s Creek. CBC.
Rooney, S. (Writer), Birch, A. (Writer), & Abrahamson, L. (Director). (2020, April 29). Episode 1 [TV series episode]. In E. Guiney, A. Lowe, E. Norton, A. Ferguson, S. Rooney, L. Abrahamson, C. Magee (Producers). Normal People. BBC Studios.
Waller-Bridge, P (Writer), & Kirkby, T. (Director). (2016, September 16). Episode 1.1 [TV series episode]. In P. Waller-Bridge (Creator). Fleabag. BBC Studios.
I would recommend Mad Men to you.